Instruction Sheet for PIA Micro ATX Cube Case

Contributed by Christopher Neff

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Opening the Case:

To open the case, remove the five screws that attach the outer shell to the frame (see Figure 1). After screws are removed, slide the shell slightly toward the back of the case and lift it upward. Be cautious of sharp edges inside the case and at the edges of the outer shell! At this time, also remove the PS Hinge Screw and swing the power supply aside so it is out of your way, as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 1 - Screw Locations

Figure 2

Mounting a Motherboard in the Case:

It is easiest to install the motherboard before any drives or other peripherals have been installed in the case. There are several industry standard form factors for motherboards; this case can accept either a flexATX motherboard or a small MicroATX motherboard. The largest motherboard that will fit this case is 9.5" x 9.0". To correctly mount your motherboard into the case, do the following:
1. Orient the motherboard to the case so that the integrated connectors are facing the back of the case. Make note of the mounting holes on the motherboard, and which holes on the bottom of the case they line up with. Note also which slot covers will need to be removed if you wish to install expansion cards, such as a modem or video card.
2. Using a slotted (flat head) screwdriver, remove unnecessary slot covers as shown in Figure 3 (next page).
3. Set the motherboard aside and turn the case on its side. Be careful - the power supply will move on its hinges as you tilt the case!
4. From the bottom of the case, insert the white plastic spacers into the holes on the case. Insert spacers only in the holes noted in step 1.
5. Set the case upright, align the motherboard as before, and secure it in place by screwing it to the spacers. If you will be using expansion cards, it is easier to install them at this time than after drives are installed. You should also install the CPU, CPU cooling fan, and memory at this time, following the directions provided with them.

Figure 3 - Removing Slot Covers

Installing Drives into the Drive Bays:

The case has bays for two external 5.25" drives, one external 3.5" drive, and one internal 3.5" hard drive. You may wish to use drives with black faceplates. To install drives, do the following:
1. Being careful of sharp edges, push the bay covers out through the faceplate from the inside. If you are installing two 5.25" drives, you may need to remove the metal cover inside the second slot using a technique similar to that used to remove slot covers in Step 2 of the above section.
2. Slide your external drives into place from the outside, aligning their faceplates with the front of the case. Screw them securely into place from the inside, using screws on both sides of the drives.
3. The hard drive bay is at the top of the 3.5" external bay. Place the hard drive in the bay with cable side facing the inside of the case and secure it with screws.
4. After all drives and cards are installed, swing the power supply back into position and secure it with the PS Hinge screw.

Cable Attachments:

Attach the power supply cable to the motherboard. There are also two types of plugs for the drives installed in the drive bays. The smaller one is used for the floppy drive, and the larger is used for all other kinds of drives, including hard drives and CD-ROMs.

WARNING: The power supply may not function unless the motherboard and at least one drive is plugged in. Some power supplies are designed not to function without a minimum load.

There are several wires attached to the inside front of the case. These wires power indicator lights and switches; the end of each is labeled with its function. Connect them to the motherboard according to the directions provided in the motherboard manual. As a rule, Pin 1 is indicated by the colored wire in each connector. You should also connect data cables to the drives and motherboard at this time, following the directions provided with those components.

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